“No plans to move Parliament from Kutaisi to Tbilisi” says PM

Georgia’s Prime Minister says the ruling team does not plan to move Parliament from western Kutaisi to capital Tbilisi if the Georgian Dream party wins the constitutional majority in the new Parliament of Georgia. 

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told this to Imedi TV yesterday in response to opposition’s speculations that if the Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party won the constitutional majority [at least 100 members in the 150 –seat legislative body] it would instigate changes to the county’s main laws. 

Making changes to the Constitution of Georgia about the location and function of Parliament can only be possible if the idea is supported by the constitutional majority of lawmakers.  

We don’t plan such a change, for several years at least, if we decide to move Parliament from Kutaisi to Tbilisi this will take place only after active discussions with Kutaisi residents,” Kvirikashvili said. 

The Georgian high official stressed Parliament’s committee meetings were already conducted in Tbilisi and he saw "no problem” in holding plenary sessions in Kutaisi. 

Kvirikashvili said there was no urgent reason to move Parliament's operations to Tbilisi, and  he added in the frame of a new Government and Parliament, "huge educational and infrastructural” projects were planned in Kutaisi that would cause "fundamental changes and development of the city”,  

I believe very soon that projects and new prospects will be more in focus regarding Kutaisi and the Parliament building,” the PM said. 

When speaking to Imedi TV, Georgia's PM also commented on the concept of marriage; he noted the definition of the word could only change if supported by the constitutional majority. 

Kvirikashvili stressed he supported the idea of marriage being a union of a man and a woman to be written in the Georgian Constitution, and not another definition of the word. 

He excluded a point in the Constitution regarding violation of the rights of sexual minorities, and noted this such stance was reflected in the constitutions of many developed countries and several states of America. 

 Kvirikashvili confirmed he had already held consultations with many of his European allies and experts, who confirmed no European conventions said such a stance could imply a person's human rights are violated.